The Alexandria area is set to welcome several new restaurants and bars in 2024. Here’s what we’re looking forward to trying!
Atlas Brew Works
Atlas Brew Works plans to open in the spring of 2024 in Alexandria's Carlyle Crossing neighborhood. The venue is still under construction at 2429 Mandeville Lane, just north of the AMC Hoffman 22. The brewery and tap room will offer food from Andy’s Pizza, which currently has an operation in Old Town. The 6,000 square-foot space will include the brewery, a tap room and a kitchen, as well as indoor and outdoor seating.
Benny Diforza's Pizza
Giant pizza-by-the-slice is coming to Del Ray. Benny's has signed a lease at 1504B Mt. Vernon Ave., the former home of Sicilian Pizza. Benny's is known for 28-inch pizzas and the Benny's Challenge, where one person tries to eat an entire 28-inch pizza in record time. (Current record: 28 minutes.) Benny's has not yet announced an opening date.
Ben'Yays
Taking the place of the recently closed Lori's Table at 1028 King St., a restaurant called Ben'Yays plans to open. The owner did not respond to a request for more information, and it's not clear if there is any relation to the famous Nashville restaurant with a similar name.
Bloom Tea
Bloom Tea is planning to open at 425 S. Washington St. in Old Town. Bloom Tea will offer boba tea and Vietnamese-style coffee in addition to other offerings. The owners have not yet announced an opening date.
Call Your Mother
Call Your Mother Deli will be opening at 1300 King St. in Old Town this winter. (The location previously housed Pines of Florence, an Italian restaurant, which closed in 2020 and reopened in Arlington.) According to the deli’s permit, “Call Your Mother Deli will operate as a small deli primarily selling bagels and coffee drinks along with a number of other menu items and branded merchandise.”
Cooper Mill
At the end of Duke Street near the Potomac River, Murray Bonitt of Bonitt Builders is teaming up with Alexandria restaurateur Noe Landini to preserve and repurpose one of the last remaining waterfront warehouses in Old Town. The market/tavern/event space concept called Cooper Mill will be located at 10 Duke St. Cooper Mill will have a market at the back of the building, a casual tavern on the first floor and a private event space on the second floor.
Founding Farmers
Founding Farmers will open in the new development at Oakville Triangle, between Del Ray and Potomac Yard. A specific opening date is not yet available, as the new neighborhood is still under construction. Oakville Triangle will be anchored by a new Inova Healthplex with residences and retail in the surrounding blocks. The restaurant will serve food made from scratch. The extensive menu will include breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner items from bacon dates to ahi tuna. Founding Farmers boasts, "We bake our own bread, grind our own beef in-house, churn our own ice cream, and distill our own booze."
MacMillan Spirit House
The team behind the MacMillan Whisky Room in Fairfax City will be opening a spirits bar in Old Town North, at 500 Montgomery St. Opening in early 2024, the new 100-seat restaurant and bar will feature a spirit, cocktail and fine wine program, as well as a full menu of American food with indoor and outdoor seating.
Mystic BBQ & Grill
Myron Mixon's BBQ in Old Town closed at the end of December (but the company a new location in the Merrifield area just days later). A new BBQ restaurant will be opening in its place called Mystic. The new venue will be opening soon in the space at 218 N. Lee St.
Pitango Gelato
A new gelato shop — with baked goods and espresso drinks — will open in Old Town this spring. Pitango Gelato will open at 115 S. Union St., in a renovated building that has had a ground-floor vacancy for years. Pitango Gelato has locations in Maryland and the District, and its first Virginia location is in Reston.
Pupatella
Neopolitan Pizza restaurant Pupatella has filed paperwork to open a location at 700 Slaters Lane. The location previously housed Sam's Custom Cleaners. The popular pizza restaurant first opened in Arlington in 2010 after serving pizza out of food carts at Metro stations. Enzo Algarme and his wife, Anastasiya Laufenberg, founded the restaurant. Each Pupatella restaurant bakes its pizza in a wood-fired pizza oven. The restaurant has locations in North Arlington, South Arlington, Dupont Circle, Reston, Mosaic in Fairfax, Springfield, Leesburg and Richmond.
Tacos on South Washington
Rumor has it that a taco restaurant may be taking the place of the recently-closed Faccia Luna on South Washington Street. The restauarant's name and timeline for opening have not been revealed yet.
Tatte Bakery & Cafe
Tatte Bakery & Cafe has announced it will open on Jan. 24 at 515 King St. Tatte offers an extensive list of gluten-friendly foods in addition to regular bakery items, salads, sandwiches, coffee and more. Tatte also caters.
NATIONAL CHAINS COMING
There are also several national or regional chains that are moving into Northern Virginia in the coming months. While we can’t pinpoint Alexandria locations for these yet, you may see them at some point this year.
Chicken Salad Chick
The fast casual chicken salad-focused restaurant has signed agreements to open eight locations in Arlington and Fairfax County over the next few years. Chicken Salad Chick has more than 250 locations nationwide, mostly concentrated in the Southeast. Virginia locations include Richmond, Hampton, Norfolk, Christiansburg and Roanoke.
Crimson Coward
Nashville-style hot chicken chain Crimson Coward plans to open more locations in Northern Virginia this year. The chain started in Southern California and has eight locations nationwide — so far. The owner plans more than 200 locations by 2027, including about two dozen in Northern Virginia. The closest one to Alexandria (so far) is in Woodbridge. In addition to Virginia and California, Crimson Coward has restaurants in Texas and Michigan.
H&H Bagels
The New York City bagel spot H&H will open 10 restaurants in D.C. and Virginia in the next few years. One of those locations may be in Alexandria. The bagel bakery plans to par-bake its bagels in Queens, New York, and ship them frozen to Virginia where they will be completed. H&H Bagels started in Manhattan in 1972.
Marco's Pizza
Marco’s Pizza is continuing its Northern Virginia expansion, with multiple new stores opening in 2024. Already in Fairfax Station, Fairfax City and Sterling (and coming soon to Herndon), Marco’s Pizza serves up pizzas, pizza bowls, subs and salads.
